This was the statement given by former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) and 2019 senatorial candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, as he emphasized the need for a concerted effort to help fire victims and strengthen fire safety and prevention measures in the country.

On Sunday evening, the former SAP Bong Go visited Barangay Manresa in Quezon City, the site of the January 5, 2019 fire that destroyed at least 100 houses, left 300 families homeless, injured 5 people (4 residents and 1 volunteer), and caused property damage amounting to PHP 1 million.

Due to illegal power connections, the blaze razed Barangay Manresa quickly and caught locals off guard. According to Quezon City Fire Marshal Senior Superintendent Jaime Ramirez, the fire in Barangay Manresa began around 11:30 P.M. on Saturday evening and was put out about 3 A.M. on Sunday. The fire reached the 5th alarm status.

A senatorial aspirant in the 2019 elections, Bong Go has always placed importance on fire safety and prevention because of the massive loss of lives, homes, and livelihood as well as the expensive property damage usually caused by fire incidents.

Due to this, Go prioritizes meeting with fire victims and survivors of other similar tragedies to extend assistance and see how safety and prevention measures can be improved.

In light of the fire incident, Bong Go also spoke to interviewers that particular properties should be converted to permanent and strategic evacuation centers so that government work and classes are not greatly affected.

Residents of the area whose houses were burned down were forced to evacuate to Barangay Manresa’s basketball court, multipurpose hall, and barangay hall. According to Manresa Barangay Captain Arturo Tambis, the survivors badly need donations.

The former SAP also relayed that he will be contacting his former colleagues in the government to request additional assistance for the fire victims. “Papakiusapan ko po ‘yung mga kasamahan ko sa gobyerno tulad ng nasa NHA, DOH, DSWD, at PCSO,” Go guaranteed Manresa residents.

In addition, Bong Go will be donating uniforms so that students and employees who were affected by the fire could immediately go back to school and their offices respectively.

During Bong Go’s visit to Manresa, he gave away his pair of basketball shoes to Reynaldo Ansino, a 27- year-old resident and survivor of Saturday’s fire. “Di ko akalain na darating siya at (ibibigay) itong sapatos na ‘to. Salamat, Bong Go,” Ansino said as he held the pair of sneakers from Go.

Bong Go stated that even though he currently is a private citizen, he would still be helping those in need and serve as their voice in raising their concerns to the President.

Aside from giving away food and other items, Bong Go reminded the residents of Barangay Manresa that a Malasakit Center will be opened on Monday, January 7, 2019, at the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) in Diliman, Quezon City that they could go to if they need medical assistance.

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